Address card



Nov. 2, 1965 KOOCH EIAL ADDRESS CARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25,1963 FIGI.

FIGS.

INVENTORS GEORGE KOOCH WILLIAM L. FENNIMORE ATIXS,

Nov. 2, 1965 I G. KOOCH ETAL 3,215,072

ADDRESS CARD Filed June 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5.

FIG? I NVENTORS GEORGE KOOCH WILLIAM L. FENNIMORE ATTYS.

Nov. 2, 1965 KOOCH ETAL ADDRESS CARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 25,1963 INVENTORSI GEORGE KOOCH WILLIAM L. FENNIMORE BY ATTYSM UnitedStates Patent 3,215,072 ADDRESS CARD George Kooeh, Philadeiphia, Pa.,and William L. Fermimore, Pennsauken, N.J., assignors to Scriptomatic,Inc., Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 25, 1963,Ser. No. 290,396 1 Claim. (Cl. 101--149.4)

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in sheetmaterial having a recessed area in one face thereof and moreparticularly to single layer sheet material such as master cardsdesigned for use in conjunction with the hectograph process.

One specific use of sheet material of this type is in the hectographprocess wherein an address or other material is printed in a recessedarea in one face of a master card. To transfer this printed material toa work piece such as an envelope, a solvent is applied to the work pieceand the portion of the master card containing the printed material isbrought into pressure-applying relation with the area of the work pieceto which the solvent is applied thereby causing the material printed onthe master card to be reproduced on the work piece.

The conventional master card comprises a sheet of material of uniformthickness with the printed material to be reproduced deposited on animprint area of the card. This printed material is in reverse in thecard so that when it is transferred to a work piece a positive image isformed. One disadvantage of these prior cards is that when the cardswere stacked prior to use, the printed material on one card is in directcontact with the face of the next adjacent card thereby permitting aportion of the printed material to be transferred to the face of thenext adjacent card with a resultant decrease in the life of the cards. Afurther drawback of this type of master card is that a special type oftypewriter is required in many instances to apply the printed materialto the card. It also has been proposed to make cards of this generaltype on a sheet of two-ply material with one of the plies having anopening formed thereon before it is adhered to the second ply. This typeof card also possesses several disadvantages. For example, if thebonding cement adhering the plies of the card is not spread uniformly,the plies tend to separate at the edges and present the possibility ofjamming in a machine such as an addressing machine. Moreover, even ifthe bonding cement is spread uniformly, there is the possibility ofwarpage or separation of the plies due, for example, to changingtemperatures or humidity conditions to which the card is subjected.

The present invention provides a master card characterized by novelfeatures of construction and arrangement which is designed to replacemaster cards of the above prior type and obviate the disadvantagesthereof. In accordance with the present invention, the master cardcomprises a single layer of sheet material having a first panel area anda second panel area substantially completely surrounding the first panelarea which is of greater thickness than the first panel area with theedges of the second panel adjacent the first panel area being beveled tojoin smoothly with the first panel area. With this construction thesheet material may be used without difficulty in various types ofequipment permitting various operations to be carried out whichpresently cannot be accomplished. In one form of the invention, therecessed first panel area provides a recessed imprint area for theprinted material to be transferred from the master card to the workpiece which may be applied thereto by a conventional typewriter. Thuswhen the cards are stacked one on top of another in an addressingmachine or the like, smearing of the printed material to be transferredis obviated. Moreover, the card is characterized by a straight edgearound its entire periphery insuring reliable engagement by feed icemeans of the addressing machine or the like. Also, with a single plycard the problem of warpage and separation present in multiply cards iseliminated thereby providing a greater useful life for the card.

With the foregoing in mind, an object of the present invention is toprovide a one-ply sheet of material having a protected area of reducedthickness on which various operations may be accomplished.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of various embodiments of the present inventiondescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of master card inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the imprint face of the master card ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a stack of master cards ofthe type shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the lowermost card in the stackbeing fed to the feed rolls prior to being forwarded to a printingstation;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through a master card in accordancewith the present invention illustrating one form of means for removingone portion of the material from one face of the card to define therecessed area;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a step in the manufacture of thecard in which the recessed face of the card is embossed after removal ofthe portion of the card defining the recessed area;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through a card with a sheet of carbon paperor the like applied to it illustrating a card of the type shown in FIGS.1 and 2 in position to receive the printed material;

FIG. 8 is a perspective View of a second embodiment of master card inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the imprint face of the master card ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view through a card of the type shown in FIGS. 8and 9 with a sheet of carbon paper or the like applied to it in positionto receive printed material; and

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of a stack of master cards ofthe type shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrating the lowermost card in thestack being fed to the 'feed rolls prior to being forwarded to aprinting station.

The present invention is specifically described with reference to amaster card for use in the hectograph process. It will he understood,however, that this description is merely by way of example and not oflimitation and that the sheet material of the present invention andprocess of making the same can he used in various other forms ofequipment and processes other than that used in conjunction with thehectograph process.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and particulanly to FIGS. 1to 3, inclusive, thereof, there is illustrated an embodiment of mastercard 10 made in accordance with the present invention which may be of agenerally rectangular shape in the form of a single layer of paper boardor single layer heavy paper stock with the card :10 having a reverseface 1 1 and an imprint face 12.

In the present instance, a recessed area of generally rectangular shapedefining an imprint area 1 3 provided in the imprint face .12 of thecard 10. If desired, a sheet of carbon paper :14 or the like may 'beremovably scoured to the card when the card is initially made, forexample, by means of adhesive 15 along the upper edge of the card sothat the carbon paper 14 in the present instance overlies the recessedimprint area 13 of the card. The carbon paper is used for applying thedesired printed material to the imprint area :13 of the card and afterthe card is printed, the paper is torn off so that the cards may bestacked as illustrated in FIG. 4. The recessed imprint area 13preferably does not extend entirely across the face of the card leavingopposite side edges of the card 16, 16 adjacent opposite sides of theimprint area 13 of the same thickness as the remainder of the card whichis of greater thickness than the imprint area 13 thereby adding rigidityto the card and preventing the card from bending at the imprint area.

In the use of a master card of the above type in an addressing machineor the like, the cards are stacked, for example, as indicated at 17 inFIG. 4 preparatory to being fed to the printing station of theaddressing machine with the imprint area 13 of each card facingdownwardly with the printed material being applied within the recessedimprint area 113. By this arrangement, when the cards are forced out ofthe stack of cards, for example, by means of a feed blade :18 through apair of feed rolls 19, the printed material is protected in the recessedimprint area and does not smear due to contact with the platen oradjacent card. Preferably, the edges of the recessed imprint area 13 arebeveled, for example, as indicated at 21, to prevent the cards fromcatching against one another or catching on portions of the addressingmachine during use. It is noted that the straight sided edge about theentire periphery of the card presents a blunt contact area forengagement by the feed blade 18 insuring positive engagement therebyregardless of the position of the stack of cards on the platen 17.

The recessed imprint area 13 preferably is formed by removing apredetermined portion of the card, for example, by a grinding operationor by slicing a thin layer of material away from the card. When this isdone, an uncalendered surface is exposed at this portion of the card,and in some instances, it is necessary that the surface he made smoothin order to properly receive the printed material. This can 'beaccomplished by calendering in the conventional manner. Preferably,however, the card is made as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of thedrawings with the portion of the surface of the card being removed atthe imprint area 13 of the card from the reverse face :11 of the card,for example, by running a grinding wheel '23 across the face of the cardat the imprint area and removing a predetermined portion of the materialfrom the card. Thereafter, the imprint face of the card is contacted byan embossing wheel 24 which engages the imprint face of the card at theimprint area and embosses the imprint face of the card inwardly therebyforming the recessed imprint area 13 and providing a smooth calendersurface on the recessed face of the imprint area. :By this operation,the material of the card at the imprint area is displaced so that thereverse face of the cards at the imprint area .lies in the plane of theremainder of the reverse face. This area is not calendered but theprinted material is applied to the calendered recessed face of theimprint area and therefore the grinding operation does not interferewith the printing qualities of the initial paper stock used in the card.At the same time, the embossing roll 24 may be so designed to providethe desired beveled edges 21 at the edges of the recessed imprint area(13.

FIG. 7 illustrates the card during application of printed material tothe imprint area of the card. (The card may be placed in a typewriterwith the recessed imprint area of the card facing the platen of thetypewriter. Type bars, designated generally as 25 in FIG. 7, may thenstrike the reverse face of the card forcing the struck portion of thecard downwardly against the carbon paper 14 to apply the desired printedmaterial to the face of the recessed imprint area. If desired, aconventional typewriter ribfbon or the like (not shown) may bepositioned intermediate the type bars 25 and the reverse face of thecard so that the material printed on the imprint area of the cardappears in a true image on the reverse face of the card. 'It will benoted that with a portion of the material removed from the card at theimprint area, the card is thin enough so that a conventional typewritermay be used to apply printed material to the card. In conventional cardsof this type, the card is too thick to be struck from the reverse faceby means of a type bar. Accordingly, a special typewriter has to be usedwith a reverse image on the type so that the card is struck from theimprint face directly applying the printed material in reverse on theimprint face of the card.

There is shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, inclusive, another embodiment of mastercard in accordance with the present invention. The card is generallysimilar to that described above being of generally rectangular shape andformed of a single layer of paper board of heavy paper stock and havinga reverse face 111 and an imprint face 112. In the present instance, arecessed area 113 of generally rectangular shape is provided in thereverse face 111 of the card and the printed material to be transferredis applied to the imprint face 112 of the card in a rectangular areathereof opposite the recessed area on the reverse face 111 of the card.As in the first described embodiment, a sheet of carbon paper 114 or thelike used to apply the desired printed material to the imprint area ofthe card may be removably secured to an upper edge of the imprint faceof the card so that it overlies the imprint face of the card. Asillustrated, the side edges of the recessed area 113 in the reverse faceof the card are spaced inwardly from opposite side edges of the card andare of the same thickness as the remainder of the card thereby addingrigidity to the card and preventing it from bending at the imprint area.Preferably, the edges of the recessed area are beveled as indicated, forexample, at 121 to prevent the cards from catching on one another orcatching on portions of the addressing machine during use. It is notedthat as in the previously-described embodiment, the entire peripheraledge of the card is straight-sided to insure proper feeding through anaddressing machine or the like.

In manufacturing a card of the above type, the recessed area 113 ispreferably formed by removing a predetermined portion of the card, forexample, by a grinding operation or by slicing a thin layer of materialaway from the card. The cards preferably have at least one smoothcalendered surface and the recessed area 113 is provided in the face ofthe card opposite the calendered surface. Thereafter the printedmaterial to be transferred to the calendered surface of the card isapplied on the side opposite the recessed area 113 of the card withinthe periphery of the recessed area. This may be done on a conventionaltypewriter by placing the card therein with the calendered face oppositethe recessed area 113 of the card facing the platen of the typewriter.Type bars designated generally as 125 in FIG. 10 may then strike therecessed area of the card forcing the struck portion of the carddownwardly against the carbon paper 114 to apply the desired printedmaterial to the calendered face of the card on the side thereof oppositethe recessed area. If desired, a conventional typewriter ribbon or thelike (not shown) may be positioned intermediate the type bars 125 andthe recessed area of the card so that the material printed in therecessed area of the card appears in true image. It is noted that when aportion of the material is removed from the card at the imprint area,the card is thin enough so that a conventional typewriter may be used toapply the printed material to the card In this embodiment of theinvention, the carbon deposits or other material which forms the indiciato be reproduced is on the flat calendered surface of the card at theimprint area, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 11. When these cardsare stacked in storage or during use, this deposit on the imprint areaof the card is protected and prevented from coming in contact with thenext adjacent card due to the recessed area on the next adjacent card.When the cards are fed one at a time to a printing station, there is aminimum of wear on the deposit indicia due to the beveled edge at theside of the recessed area rather than the sharp corner which would tendto wipe the deposit indicia ofi of the card.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit theinvention and modifications may be made therein within the scope of thefollowing claim.

We claim:

A master card formed of a unitary sheet of paper board or the likehaving an imprint face and a reverse face, means defining a recessedarea extending into the card from the reverse face thereof with the cardbeing of lesser thickness at the recessed area than at the remainder ofthe card, the edge of the sheet surrounding the recessed area beingbeveled, the imprint face of said card lying in a single plane and beinga smooth calendered surface and said recessed area being a roughenedsurface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID KLEIN,Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,215,072 November 2, 1965 George Kooch et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

In the grant (only), line 1, for "George Knoch" read George Kooch Signedand sealed this 24th day of May 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER 7 Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

